If you’re a fan of PS2 period action-platformers, you’ll be able to’t actually go unsuitable with Akimbot. You play as a disgraced bounty hunter Exe and his quippy drone companion Shipset as they shoot and leap their manner by obstacle-laden phases. The tone and gameplay takes apparent inspiration from Ratchet and Clank. One take a look at Exe’s operating animation is all it takes to get a way of the PS2 platforming type that makes up Akimbot‘s DNA. There’s nothing significantly modern with the narrative or gameplay right here, however man does it provide a wholesome dose of old-school enjoyable. Despite the fact that I’ve legit gripes with a number of components, Akimbot gained over my ‘retro’ gaming coronary heart with its intelligent degree design and easy allure.
The sport introduces its world with the 2 protagonists behind a cop automotive. It’s instantly made clear what sort of tone Akimbot reveals: the snarky Saturday morning cartoon journey. Akimbot might share notable components with its apparent PS2 inspiration, however Shipset can’t be in comparison with Clank as he’s way more irritating of a personality. The opening cinematic soured my impression of those characters, and Shipset solely grated on me the extra I heard him. His entitled snarky angle is simply made extra annoying by the repetitive high-pitched tone of his voice. Fortunately, the lone bounty hunter, Exe, is far more tolerable all through the period of the sport.
“Exe and Shipset banter consistently all through the journey. Whether or not the humor sticks is as much as your humorousness”
Akimbot wears its tone and humor on its sleeve and isn’t ashamed about it within the slightest. The dynamic duo consistently bicker at one another as you’re platforming over lethal obstacles and taking pictures down enemies, and the regular stream of cutscenes are crammed to the gills with jokes. Humor is essentially subjective, so I’ll simply give my private expertise. I used to be 50/50 on the execution of this humorous tone. There’s so many jokes within the recreation that some are certain to land for gamers; whereas significantly good ones come up within the third quarter of the sport. Should you’re significantly keen on referential humor and fourth-wall breaking, Akimbot will delight.
I shortly seen one thing weird after coming to phrases with the sport’s comical tone: persistent display screen tearing. Akimbot has no graphics settings to talk of, so I needed to put up with traces slicing throughout the display screen each time I vertically transfer the digicam. I reviewed this on PS5, however can affirm that this display screen tearing subject is current within the PC model as effectively. It’s a persistently noticeable subject that plagues the in any other case fun-filled expertise, however a minimum of the framerate is fairly strong all through when the sport isn’t loading between areas.
As soon as the participant overcomes Akimbot’s two biggest obstacles to entry (humor and display screen tearing), the sport delivers a brisk motion journey platformer each bit as partaking as basic Ratchet and Clank titles. In contrast to Ratchet and Clank or Jak and Daxter, Akimbot is a purely linear journey with no hub areas or backtracking. Don’t let the tutorial degree deceive you; Akimbot fires on all cylinders as soon as it will get going, delivering a brisk curler coaster brimming with intelligent gameplay selection.
“Motion and taking pictures really feel easy and easy, and the animations punch above their weight”
Facilitating that selection are the instruments at Exe’s disposal. You begin out merely wielding a melee knife, upgrading to automated rifle, sniper, and rocket launcher as you progress by the sport. The one factor you’ll be able to improve are your particular weapons, of which there are 4. You equip and buy upgrades periodically by well-placed distributors in every degree. Akimbot’s weaponry is fairly customary fare for the style it inhabits, however I discovered the choice and controls to swimsuit the gameplay splendidly effectively.
Swapping between every weapon is a breeze due to the nifty hotkey to every directional button on the controller. The enemies that populate Akimbot’s world are often weak to a selected weapon in your toolkit; the sport spreads enemy sorts by the maps brilliantly, forcing you to swap between weapons so nobody instrument turns into too overused and boring. You’ll need to change weapons anyway as a consequence of ‘ammo’ replenishing after a cooldown interval. Flying well being drones perform as your HP replenishment and are distributed evenly all through ranges. These drones additional encourage an aggressive playstyle as a result of participant having to purpose and shoot at them whereas avoiding fireplace from enemies.
The weapons themselves management effectively sufficient. There’s a satisfying really feel and sound to every weapon and you are able to do some over-the-shoulder zoom-in for further accuracy. Fortunately, there’s purpose help as a result of aiming sensitivity simply isn’t gradual sufficient with a controller. However that is an motion platformer, so there’s loads of leaping to accompany all of the taking pictures. That is the place the sport’s controls shine. Motion feels surprisingly exact and fluid. You possibly can decide the size of your dodge and jumps fairly simply, making for sure-footed platforming. Moreover, Exe robotically mounts ledges for those who miss a platform by a smidge, in order that’s good. I by no means discovered platforming to be laborious or unfair in Akimbot, which is a testomony to its exact controls and effectively laid-out degree design.
“There are many puzzles present in Akimbot’s ranges[/custom-quotes]
Even for those who’re not happy with the tools choices in Akimbot, there’s loads of different gameplay types apart from the primary run and gun combo. The platform leaping, wall-running, and grapple-hooking present a strong traversal basis to have interaction with all through Akimbot’s ranges. And naturally, Exe and Shipset are splendidly animated as they carry out their jumps and spins, including manufacturing worth to an in any other case lower-budget expertise. Doorways are sometimes locked behind one in all three hacking minigames or puzzle codes. A number of the codes contain intelligent math issues and exploration with a view to translate symbols.
And the gameplay selection doesn’t finish there. Total ranges in Akimbot encompass shoot-em-up sequences not like something talked about to date within the evaluate. These spaceship sequences provide a pleasant Star Fox-esque diversion from the first gameplay which give the sport movement. Boss fights are effectively designed, with enjoyable AOE strikes and shifting terrain, making good use of Exe’s tools and maneuverability. Akimbot repeatedly dishes out contemporary gameplay twists that inject life into the expertise, of which the 2D sprite-based brawler sequences are a particular spotlight. I gained’t spoiler it, however the finish of the sport will get particularly artistic with its gimmicks imaginative degree design.
[custom-quote]Spaceship sequences provide a break from the same old run and gun motion, supplying good quaint arcade enjoyable”
The extent design doesn’t at all times stand out although, as is displayed by the generic aesthetic and structure of the very first degree. The aesthetic and visuals generally aren’t something particular. I’m not significantly keen on the persistent fog hanging on the outskirts of environments. The draw distance is so poor that it actually hearkens again to platformers from the PS1 period. The shortage of doodads and environmental element don’t actually make up for the hazy visuals both. Akimbot seems like one thing made in Media Molecule’s Desires engine, however I digress.
After I was nearing the ultimate chapters of Akimbot, I spotted I like the sport regardless of a few of its obvious flaws. The brisk and interesting pacing greater than make up for Shipset’s irritating banter or the fixed screen-tearing. Likewise, the generic tropey plot managed to entertain me all through and maintain me smiling. Akimbot looks like an brisk motion platformer from a bygone period, however it’s additionally bought some shocking moments that impressed me past that nostalgia.
This recreation was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
